It's (Not) Just a Name
by maidens-wanderlust
Summary: Lina has stated that she wanted to keep her maiden name when she and Gourry got married. Gourry said he was okay with it. However, he has a question late at night concerning the matter. Is he really okay with her keeping her maiden name or does he have something else in mind? One-shot.
Disclaimer. I don't own Slayers or anything related to it. I'm just a fan who's been away from writing fanfiction for years.

A/N: This is my first time writing for Slayers so any constructive criticism concerning my writing or characterization is greatly welcomed. I can't get better without trying, right?

Also, this is just a short piece exploring a harmless what-if scenario. I imagine this taking place in the novels' continuity but it can apply to the anime too (assuming Gourry's backstory in the interview/special applies to his anime persona as well).

...

It was a pleasant summer night. The air was warm but not humid, the sky was clear and the forest was quiet. If anyone decided to camp out here for the night, they shouldn't have any complaints. Lina and Gourry made that decision. After all, they had a long way to go before they reached the nearest town. Since a campfire wasn't necessary, they made a single bedding and Gourry held Lina in his arms. Lina relished in his warmth and was close to dozing off when he spoke up.

"Lina?"

Lina growled and squeezed his arm. "Gourry, _I was almost asleep_."

Gourry chuckled and planted a light kiss on the back of her head. "I know, but there was something I wanted to ask you all day and I remembered just now."

 _That's new_ , she thought. She let out a huff and turned in his arms to face him. He stared back at her with such a warm, excited expression that she almost forgave him for interrupting her sleep.

Almost.

"What is it?"

"Remember the other day when you said you wanted to keep your maiden name when we get married?" he said.

Now she was fully awake. She remembered. It was a casual conversation. They were mapping out the details: where they would stop to get married, where they would eat, and when they would visit her family again. At the mention of her family, she confessed that she wanted to keep her maiden name. After everything she had done in her life, she couldn't see herself with any name but Inverse. Gourry said he was fine with it with a smile, but then he looked away and appeared lost in thought. Though it wasn't like him to keep quiet if he had a complaint, a part of her wondered if he lied for her sake all the same. Was that what he wanted to talk about?

"What about it?" she asked.

"What if I took on your family's name?"

She blinked. The husband marrying into the wife's family wasn't unheard of but it wasn't common either. This was the last thing she expected to hear out of his mouth. She found herself relaxing again. "Oh. I don't see why not."

"Then that's all I wanted to know," he said. He kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. He relaxed against her and she knew that he was about to fall asleep soon. But she couldn't sleep now. She had to get her feelings off her chest; she had questions that she wanted answers to and she wanted them now. If he could interrupt her sleep, she could interrupt his.

"You know," she said. "I'm relieved. I thought you might have been upset about me keeping my maiden name but didn't want to tell me."

"Of course I wasn't," he said. His voice was already getting groggy. "Why would I be?"

Lina shrugged. "Hey, I didn't think keeping my maiden name would bother you either, but you were quiet for most of the day."

"I was thinking," he said. "I was thinking 'How would Gourry Inverse sound'? I played it over and over in my head and decided I liked the idea. I kept forgetting to ask you about it until tonight, you see."

"Ah," she said. She shook her head but she was smiling. "You know no one has to change anything to show they're married, right?"

"I know," he said. He paused. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I don't!" she said. "But I'm curious. Why do you want to change your name? Isn't it important to you? What about your family?"

His eyes glossed over and a blank face replaced the warm, sleepy look he had moments before. It was the same look he would give whenever she asked about his family or anything related to them. Sure, he would drop comments about Elmekia from time to time but he never fully talked about his life before he met her, save for his encounter with her father when they stopped by Zephilia City for the first time. Every time she asked, he would get quiet and seem like he was trying to focus on something else. Tonight was one of those situations and Lina let out a deep sigh. She wasn't going to get any answers tonight. Knowing the outcome, it was better to stop now than to press him and wind up getting angry.

"Forget it," she grumbled. "I don't mind and that's all that matters. Get some sleep."

She turned so that her back was facing him but she never wrestled out of his grasp. She even held onto his arms as she closed her eyes.

"Gabriev's just a name," he said. It was hard to tell if he was talking to her or talking to himself. He leaned over Lina and she opened her eyes and met his gaze. Any bitterness she felt melted away from the gentle look he gave her. He smiled at her before running his fingers through her hair. "But I love you and I love your family."

"Even my sister?" she asked with a smirk. No one could forget the colorful threat Luna gave Gourry when he first asked the Inverses for their blessings in marrying Lina.

"Even your sister," he repeated. The answer was so quick that it stunned Lina. "Even though she scares the daylights out of me, she and your parents feel more like family to me than my own. That's why I thought about changing it...Does that make sense to you?"

Lina nodded. She laid her head down and got herself comfortable again, snuggling closer when he rested his head on top of hers.

"I know you're curious about my family and it's unfair to leave you in the dark but I promise that I'll tell you about them," he said. "Just not tonight. Please."

She agreed that it was unfair. It annoyed her, sometimes infuriated her, that he wouldn't let her in when it came to his family. Yes, she had been in his shoes when it came to the things she went through with her sister so she understood where he was coming from. The point was that she eventually told him because she learned that she could trust him and depend on him for anything. Even though she knew it wasn't true, it sometimes made her feel as if he couldn't trust her completely after all these years.

But he promised. When Gourry made a promise, he kept it if he could help it. Therefore, she could trust that he would tell her someday.

She could let it go for tonight.

"Okay."

Gourry sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"Mmhmm."

They were finally comfortable again and it didn't take long for him to fall asleep. Lina tuned out his snoring by playing the name over and over in her head before falling asleep herself.

Gourry Inverse.

Gourry Inverse.

Gourry Inverse.

Yeah, she could get used to that name.


End file.
